News about Havana Club.http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2015/07/22/p13/winning-the-havana-club-brand-immediate-goal-of-the-cuban-government.html"Cuba asked the United States on Monday, after restoring diplomatic relations, to repeal laws that impede to recognize Havana Club as Cuban rum brand. The request was made by the Cuban diplomat Carlos Martin in Geneva before the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Cuban agency Prensa Latina reported. "Unjustified and unnecessarily, the United States has ignored the recommendations and rulings" which for 13 years are calling for the abolition or amendment of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998.

The French company Pernod Ricard, associated with the state company CubaRon in the manufacture and marketing of the rum, appealed to the decision to deny registering the trademark Havana Club in the United States, now used by Bacardi in that market. That mark was established in Cuba in 1878 by the Spanish Jose Arechabala and nationalized in 1960."

What is a good dark rum to use? I have been using Trader Vic's dark rum, but its been getting harder and harder to find.

Coruba Dark if you can find it in your area, or pick it up in Maryland when you are close enough. Made by the Wray & Nephew distillery (which also makes Appleton). Really very good, versatile, and in Maryland, very reasonably priced (under $16 per Litre).

Update in the WSJ on the Bacardi / Havana Club trade name dispute (spoiler alert - Treasury Department appears to be appeasing the Castros and Barcardi is not happy)

U.S. Grants Cuban Government a Trademark for Havana Club RumDecision angers Bacardi, which agreed to buy U.S. rights in 1994 from family that fled Cuba

By TRIPP MICKLEUpdated Jan. 15, 2016 4:35 p.m. ET

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week awarded a trademark for Havana Club rum—Cuba’s most famous brand—to the Cuban government, reversing a policy that denied Havana rights to the brand in the U.S.

The move is expected to reignite longstanding tension between Bacardi Ltd. and the Cuban government.

Privately held Bacardi has been selling Havana Club branded rum in the U.S. since 1994. The company acquired the U.S. rights from Havana Club’s founding family, who fled Cuba around 1960 after the brand was seized by the government. Bacardi’s Havana Club rum is made in Puerto Rico due to the U.S. economic embargo.

Pernod Ricard SA, which has a joint venture with the Cuban government, has been selling a Cuban-made version of the rum outside the U.S.

The Patent Office’s decision could open a new battle for the future of the U.S. rum market by allowing the Cuban government to sell Cuban-made Havana Club in the U.S. for the first time in decades once the U.S. embargo is lifted.

Bacardi Executive Vice President of External Affairs Rick Wilson said the company would “take every means available to fight [the decision],” including litigation. “It’s appalling that this administration goes ahead and grants this license to the Cuban government for assets that were confiscated,” he said of the Obama administration.

The Patent Office, which issued a document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal confirming the award, said it doesn’t comment on trademark applications.

Pernod Ricard said that Cubaexport, the Cuban entity that applied for the U.S. trademark for Havana Club, received a trademark license for 15 days, which is when the trademark was slated to lapse.

The company has applied for a 10-year extension of its trademark through 2026 and expects to receive it. A spokesman said the decision doesn’t have “any business impact because of the embargo,” which prevents it from selling Cuban-made rum in the U.S.

Havana Club was Cuba’s second-largest rum brand at the time of the 1959 revolution behind Bacardi. The Bacardi family was able to continue to make its rum after the revolution because they had distilleries in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Mr. Wilson said, but Havana Club’s founding family—the Arechabalas—only operated in Cuba. So the Arechabala family’s distilleries were nationalized.

The Arechabala family failed to renew its trademark registration for Havana Club in 1973, according to Pernod Ricard. Three years later, the Cuban government secured a trademark for the brand.

It joined with Paris-based Pernod Ricard in 1993 to handle sales of the brand world-wide, according to Pernod Ricard’s account of what happened.

Bacardi began contesting the trademark in 1994 and argued the Arechabala family never abandoned its trademark rights. It has battled with the Cuban government and Pernod Ricard, which sells about 4 million 9-liter cases of Havana Club outside the U.S. a year.

The trademark dispute appeared to be coming to an end around 2006. Because of the embargo, the Cuban government needs permission from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control about every 10 years to pay to renew its trademark license. In 2006, the office denied its request saying it “would be inconsistent with U.S. policy to issue a specific license authorizing transactions related to the renewal of the Havana Club trademark.”

Pernod Ricard filed suit in Delaware against Bacardi, arguing it couldn’t sell Havana Club in the U.S. because it would be misleading, Mr. Wilson said.

A few years later, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled in favor of Bacardi’s right to sell a Puerto Rican-made version of the rum in the U.S. When the Supreme Court declined to take up the case in 2012, it appeared the long-standing battle had ended. But on Monday, the Treasury reversed course, allowing the Cuban government to apply and receive the Havana Club trademark.

Pernod Ricard and Bacardi executives said ownership of the brand will ultimately be decided in court. “It will be another battle,” Mr. Wilson said.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is always my go-to rum for straight sipping (or sometimes with one cube). I've converted plenty of whiskey drinkers with this one. A little sweet, notes of tobacco, orange, leather, cocoa, and a nice smooth finish. I'm made my way through nearly all the rums offered at The Rum Bar in Key West (props to bartender Jill there for introducing me to this one) and this is still my favorite. There are plenty of rums I use for mixing, but for the shear pleasure of drinking (affordable) rum, this is my favorite. About $25 - $35 per 750ml, available at most finer liquor stores.

Last time I tried Diplomatico, I was not a fan. Something in their blend did not play well with my taste buds. This was some time ago so perhaps I'll have to give it another shot.For me, sipping, I enjoy Zacapa Solara 23 or one I tried at the last Rum Fest., Mezan XO from Jamaica. Of course, there are others too.

_________________Procrastination means you are free today and always have a project for tomorrow.

Last time I tried Diplomatico, I was not a fan. Something in their blend did not play well with my taste buds. This was some time ago so perhaps I'll have to give it another shot.For me, sipping, I enjoy Zacapa Solara 23 or one I tried at the last Rum Fest., Mezan XO from Jamaica. Of course, there are others too.

Funny how certain rums on certain nights just don't work. I remember enjoying Mocambo on several occasions, then one day the finish reminded me of the smell of a burning tire. Just hasn't been the same since. I've never tried Mezan - I'll have to put it on my list.

Last time I tried Diplomatico, I was not a fan. Something in their blend did not play well with my taste buds. This was some time ago so perhaps I'll have to give it another shot.For me, sipping, I enjoy Zacapa Solara 23 or one I tried at the last Rum Fest., Mezan XO from Jamaica. Of course, there are others too.

The Mezan line is delicious, though I wish they bottled at cask strength rather than 80 proof. Although, I've been told by the company that the demand for cask strength has made them reconsider and to keep our eyes peeled for future releases. Zacapa is too sweet for me. There are tons of resources out there that let you know who is adding sugar in and who isn't. Mezan doesn't Zacapa does. Camper English gives it a brief summary here...

Last time I tried Diplomatico, I was not a fan. Something in their blend did not play well with my taste buds. This was some time ago so perhaps I'll have to give it another shot.For me, sipping, I enjoy Zacapa Solara 23 or one I tried at the last Rum Fest., Mezan XO from Jamaica. Of course, there are others too.

The Mezan line is delicious, though I wish they bottled at cask strength rather than 80 proof. Although, I've been told by the company that the demand for cask strength has made them reconsider and to keep our eyes peeled for future releases. Zacapa is too sweet for me. There are tons of resources out there that let you know who is adding sugar in and who isn't. Mezan doesn't Zacapa does. Camper English gives it a brief summary here...

Nice article. The lists are eye opening. I found out about sugar added to rum (and other alcohols) when I was on the Adkins diet. Alcohol (rum, vodka, scotch, etc.) is listed as 0 carbs and I would occasionally have some mixed with a diet soda or diet tonic thinking I was imbibing with 0 carbs.

Wrong.

I noticed that when I would drink some mixes, my sugar levels would climb. So, I started doing some research and discovered the sugar additions and, at the time, stopped drinking alcohol at all.

As they say, caveat emptor.

_________________Procrastination means you are free today and always have a project for tomorrow.

Last time I tried Diplomatico, I was not a fan. Something in their blend did not play well with my taste buds. This was some time ago so perhaps I'll have to give it another shot.For me, sipping, I enjoy Zacapa Solara 23 or one I tried at the last Rum Fest., Mezan XO from Jamaica. Of course, there are others too.

The Mezan line is delicious, though I wish they bottled at cask strength rather than 80 proof. Although, I've been told by the company that the demand for cask strength has made them reconsider and to keep our eyes peeled for future releases. Zacapa is too sweet for me. There are tons of resources out there that let you know who is adding sugar in and who isn't. Mezan doesn't Zacapa does. Camper English gives it a brief summary here...

Nice article. The lists are eye opening. I found out about sugar added to rum (and other alcohols) when I was on the Adkins diet. Alcohol (rum, vodka, scotch, etc.) is listed as 0 carbs and I would occasionally have some mixed with a diet soda or diet tonic thinking I was imbibing with 0 carbs.

Wrong.

I noticed that when I would drink some mixes, my sugar levels would climb. So, I started doing some research and discovered the sugar additions and, at the time, stopped drinking alcohol at all.

As they say, caveat emptor.

This list below works as a good jumping off point. Richard Seale of Foursquare has long been an advocate (to put it mildly) for transparency when it comes to the issue of dosage in rum. It's a hot topic in rum circles in which, of course, many Moai are also included. When producers intentionally mislead consumers or refuse to provide details about their production methods, it's probably a good idea to stay away. As I said, it's a topic of great debate at most rum and cocktail festivals these days (i.e. TOTC's "When is a rum not a rum?" this year). My father has to be very careful about it due to diabetes. It's not to say that adding sugar is inherently bad, but refusing to disclose what goes into my drink is. Plantation is a good example of a company that discloses exactly what rums are in their blends, and if they add sugar to it or not (they do). They're great people, and are very honest about their methods. The same goes for Martinique rhum producers, who are held to a regulatory standard since there is an AOC there.

Here is a quick rundown of the topics considered in the "When is a Rum Not a Rum" seminar at TOTC this year from Cocktail Wonk (I'm sure many of you Matt.) If you didn't get to attend, or aren't quite sure to make of all this confusion about sugar additives in rum, check it out.

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